Benzo belly?

[[ns...]]

Can someone please explain what

benzo belly is. Is it bowel issues like ibs, or is it stomach,  esophagus issues etc.  I have internal spasms in front under ribs and sternum, is this considered benzo belly? Also, decided to tough it out another day before going to er, we'll see how I feel in the morning. Husband went to get a scale, just hard to find mg scale, there all grams but I guess he'll figure it out!

Thanks for your help

Bless yas

 

 

[[Br...]]

Benzo belly is usually thought of as a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced during withdrawal. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, gas, indigestion, nausea, acid reflux, weight loss, weight gain.

A wide variety of muscle symptoms like twitching, spasms, buzzing, tightness, etc. is also common in withdrawal.

Many of our members find this scale works well for their taper - available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?th=1 

 

[[ns...]]

Thank u, ordered one today!

[[ns...]]

On 30/12/2023 at 15:40, [[B...] said:

Benzo belly is usually thought of as a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced during withdrawal. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, gas, indigestion, nausea, acid reflux, weight loss, weight gain.

A wide variety of muscle symptoms like twitching, spasms, buzzing, tightness, etc. is also common in withdrawal.

Many of our members find this scale works well for their taper - available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?th=1 

Hi guys,  adding this quote to get help on how to use this scale to get mg for tapering. Please help, can't figure out how to use these to get mg weight. The one I had was way off so I bought the one in the link above. If you know how to use this, please hrlp by explaining to me and my husband and to walk us through it, we would be most appreciative. 

Thanks so much!

[[Br...]]

Learning how to weigh your pills can be confusing at first.

Starting with how to figure out the mg weight using a scale that measures grams: 100mg = .1g

Remember - a 1mg pill means there is 1mg active ingredient in the pill. It doesn't mean the pill weighs 1mg.  The pill will weigh more than 1mg because there is filler in it and in some cases a coating.

It's important to use your scale on a solid surface in an area with very little activity, drafts etc.  The scale is sensitive and if there are vibrations or air currents, even someone walking by or eating at the table, it can throw the scale off.

I would start by weighing 10 pills and divide the total by 10 to get the average weight of your pills.

This should be a good way to start.  

[[ns...]]

On 30/12/2023 at 15:40, [[B...] said:

Benzo belly is usually thought of as a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced during withdrawal. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, gas, indigestion, nausea, acid reflux, weight loss, weight gain.

A wide variety of muscle symptoms like twitching, spasms, buzzing, tightness, etc. is also common in withdrawal.

Many of our members find this scale works well for their taper - available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?th=1 

 

[[ns...]]

Hi Brighterday,  seriously I had no idea that the pills didn't weigh 1mg. Never entered my mind. How do u know what your getting? So weigh 10, x total weight. Then what, divide that total into equal amounts.  I just don't understand how we can accurately taper if there are other ingredients in them. I guess the drug in distributed throughout the pill. But knowing this, helps me understand why each dose makes me feel different. Wow, but I do understand your point here so we'll try that.  Wait. After I've divided the total into separate totals equally, for example if each pill weighs different which they do, by weighing 10 for the total to divide, should they be crushed? They are short acting loraz.im confused, what else is new these days lol. I'm sorry but I don't understand what to do with the total x10. Can u offer any more advice?

[[Br...]]

A lorazepam 1mg pill contains 1mg of the active ingredient.  There's no reason to worry that you're not getting the correct dose.

Sometimes there are very slight differences in the weight of the pills.  It's not enough of a difference to worry about.  You get the average weight of your pills by weighing 10 pills; divide the total weight by 10.  This will give you the average weight of a pill.  You will use this average weight to figure out the cuts you make.  Let's say you're planning to taper with 10% cuts.  Cutting 10% of the weight of the pill is the same as if you're deducting 10% of the active ingredient.  

If you want to make reductions of 10% then you multiply the total weight of your daily dose by 90%. 

 

Rather than crush the pills I would use a nail file or something similar to shave the pill. There are videos on YouTube that shows you how to do it. 

How many pills do you take each day? How often are you dosing?  

 

Do you plan to wait until you get your new scale or do you think the one you have will work?

[[ns...]]

Ii brighterday, I'm down to just above 1mg per day. Dividng into 4 doses. Just above a quarter dose 4x per day. So 0.25 plus a sliver, that's as accurate as I've been able to be without a scale. It's so close to a 0.25 I really shouldn't even mention the little left over anymore, I'm going to exact 0.25 in 2 days. No the one we have is just too off, it's little and finicky so we get the new one tomorrow.  I'm so used to cutting them, I'm not comfortable shaving or crushing them into powder. Idk I guess we'll try it a couple different ways, my anxiety is off the charts and just thinking is Making me jerky and irritable.  

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me,  after I calm down ill hand it over to hubby and he can deal with it. Lol, anyway, thank u so much for all your help, looking forward to the new scale. Hopefully It'll be easier than I make it out to be.

Bless ya

[[Br...]]

@[ns...] Believe me, I understand how hard it is to navigate all the details.  I could barely add 1+1 when I was in the thick of withdrawal.  

Cutting is fine by the way.

Just reach out with any questions and we'll do our best to give you help. 

[[ns...]]

On 04/01/2024 at 07:32, [[B...] said:

@[ns...] Believe me, I understand how hard it is to navigate all the details.  I could barely add 1+1 when I was in the thick of withdrawal.  

Cutting is fine by the way.

Just reach out with any questions and we'll do our best to give you help. 

Hi Brighterday, thank u, yes I feel overwhelmed, your post pretty much describes me right now. Lol. I've decided to just cut them like I have been doing.  I'm down to a little 4 quarters a day and I'm going to cut those down in a week and be done. They make me miserable and I need them out of my system. It's getting tougher, I knew it would, I went into panic and then freeze in the store yesterday,  had to get out and confront fears but it was really an experience. 

So then it's on to a therapist for cbt and other specialist. 

I have a question about salty saliva, maybe it's a metalic taste but taste like salt.  Happens during and after eating, even bread. Does this sound like a withdrawal symptom to u? I have hyponatremia,  low sodium so I have to keep it in ck, salty taste can be a sign of dehydration but i know I couldn't be dehydrated right now so gotta assume it's just part of this. 

Please let me know if you've heard of this ok, and thank u so much for all your help and understanding.  It's good to have so eone to talk to about these things.

Thanks again 

 

[[ns...]]

On 30/12/2023 at 15:40, [[B...] said:

Benzo belly is usually thought of as a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced during withdrawal. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, gas, indigestion, nausea, acid reflux, weight loss, weight gain.

A wide variety of muscle symptoms like twitching, spasms, buzzing, tightness, etc. is also common in withdrawal.

Many of our members find this scale works well for their taper - available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?th=1 

Hi brighter day, on the benzo belly topic, you said spasms,  do u mean in the upper belly, I've been. Having this everyday, with salty mouth, lots of saliva. Not sure what you meant by spasms. In the belly or just in general. 

Thanks

 

 

Edited January 5 by [ns...]
Mistake

[[Br...]]

3 hours ago, [[n...] said:

I have a question about salty saliva, maybe it's a metalic taste but taste like salt.  Happens during and after eating, even bread. Does this sound like a withdrawal symptom to u?

We often hear about members experiencing a metallic taste but I did a quick search using the term "salty taste" and a few results came up from members who describe the salty taste too.  So I suggest you do this search using the Search box in upper right hand corner.

Here's what The Ashton Manual says about sensory changes during tapering and withdrawal:

 

A characteristic feature of benzodiazepine withdrawal is a heightened sensitivity to all sensations – hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. When extreme, these sensations can be disturbing. One lady had to stop all the clocks in the house because their ticking sounded unbearably loud; many have had to don dark glasses because ordinary light seemed dazzlingly bright. Some find that the skin and scalp becomes so sensitive that it feels as if insects are crawling over them. Heartbeats become audible and there may be a hissing or ringing sound in the ears (tinnitus – see below). Many people complain of a metallic taste in the mouth and several notice strange, unpleasant, smells which seem to emanate from the body. These sensations, including an unpleasant smell (which usually no-one else can detect) have been described in anxiety states in the absence of benzodiazepines. Like insomnia and panics, they are probably reflections of heightened activity in the central nervous system. Such hypervigilance is part of the normal fear and flight response which is damped down by benzodiazepines but undergoes a rebound during withdrawal.

These sensations return towards normal as withdrawal progresses, and some people are pleased with the new, seemingly extraordinary, clarity of their perceptions. Only in withdrawal do they realise how much their senses have been obscured by benzodiazepines. One lady described how thrilled she was when she could suddenly see individual blades of grass in her newly bright green lawn; it was like the lifting of a veil. Thus, these sensations need not give rise to fear; they can be viewed as signs of recovery.

 

[[Br...]]

1 hour ago, [[n...] said:

Hi brighter day, on the benzo belly topic, you said spasms,  do u mean in the upper belly, I've been. Having this everyday, with salty mouth, lots of saliva. Not sure what you meant by spasms. In the belly or just in general. 

Hi @[ns...] - In the context of benzo belly, I believe spasms refers to muscles in the abdominal region contracting. 

[[ns...]]

Brighterday,  I need some help with swapping. 

Thinking of swapping to valuim for my last 1mg. How would I do a direct swap. I'm at 1mg per day split into 4. So 1/4mg 4x per day.  How much valuim would I take to be equal or at least close. The ashton method seems complicated to me right now. I'm exhausted, need some sleep, needba break from the tension and spasms, need to eat, I didn't like the valuim 4 months ago when I started tapering but I'm really ready to give it another try at this small dose.

If u can tell me at what dose valuim I would swap to i would appreciate your help. 

Thank you Brighterday!